240 
Psyche 
[October 
to be classed with the latter. At any rate, the Anisopodidse are 
extremely close to the actual ancestors of the hon-Tipuloid 
Nematocera, which were possibly of some ‘‘post-Anisopodid,’’ 
but ‘^pre-Mycetophilid’’ type intermediate between the Aniso- 
podidse and Mycetophilidae. 
The Mycetophiloidea (i. e; Mycetophilidae, Mycetobiidae, 
Sciaridae, etc.) arose from the Anisopodidae themselves, or from 
forms extremely like the Anisopodidae, and it is extremely 
difficult to determine whether to group such annectant types as 
the Mycetobiidae with the Mycetophilidae, or with the Aniso- 
podidae. I have raised the subfamily Mycetobiinae of Edwards, 
to the rank of a family, and have placed it among the 
Mycetophiloidea next to the Mycetophilidae, rather than to in- 
clude the Mycetobiinae in the family Anisopodidae as Edwards 
does. 
The Sciaridae are rather primitive Mycetophiloids worthy of 
family rank, but I do not think that Malloch is justified in 
raising thb Mycetophilid subfamily Platyurinae to family rank, 
and there is even some question of the advisability of raising the 
Bolitophilinae to family rank. 
The Itonididae (Cecidomyidae) might be included among 
the Mycetophiloidea. At any rMe, they arose from the Aniso- 
podid-like ancestors of the Mycetophiloids, and their line of 
development parallels that of the Mycetophiloidea remarkably 
closely, so that there can be no doubt that their closest relatives 
are the Mycetophiloids. 
The Bibionoidea include the Bibionidae, Scatopsidae, etc., 
and the Simuliidae may possibly be grouped in this sttperfamily 
also. The Bibionoidea are very closely related to the Myceto- 
philoidea, and apparently arose from the Anisopodid-like an- 
cestors of the Mycetophiloidea. 
The genus Hesperinus (and Hesperodes also) has been much 
shuffled about, having been placed in the family Bibionidas by 
some, in the family Mycetophilidae by others, and Hesperinus 
has even been placed in a separate family, the Pachyneuridae, 
by certain European entomologists. Hesperinus, however, is 
so closely related to the Bibionid genus Plecia, that if Plecia 
